1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to games of chance, more specifically, to a card game that allows a player to play more than one individual card game in a progression.
2. The Prior Art
There are a number of non-casino games of chance where winners and losers are determined immediately or almost immediately after the wager is made. Such games include scratch tickets, pull-tab tickets, and keno. With scratch and pull-tab tickets, the player buys the ticket and either scratches spots or opens tabs according to the instructions for the ticket. The player knows immediately whether she is a winner or not. However, the player has little choice in what locations to scratch or open. For example, if the game being played is poker-based, the player will not be able to choose from all of the possible 52 cards because there is limited space on the ticket. This means that tickets are predetermined to be winners or losers.
Probability tickets are different in that every ticket has the potential to be a winner. There are a number of spots to scratch and the player chooses some of them, as indicated by the rules. However, the player still does not have a choice of all 52 cards.
In keno, the player chooses numbers up to a maximum, for example, choosing 10 numbers between 1 and 80. The more numbers that are matched, the greater the payout. Variations include allowing the player to select a variable number of numbers, for example, between 1 and 15 number. When run by a state, the winning numbers are drawn periodically during the day, such as every 15 minutes, and players who have chosen their numbers prior to the drawing participate. Players find out quickly whether they win or lose and then the cycle starts over again. The excitement of playing the game is short-lived and is not drawn out over an extended period.
An object of the present invention is to provide a game that has more than one round of different card games.
Another object is to provide a card game in which winners are determined at the end of each round of the game so that the excitement of the game is drawn out over an extended period.
A further object is to provide a card game that includes more than one round that can be played individually.
A still further object is to provide a multiple round card game in which there is the potential to win every round of every game.
The basis of the game of the present invention is that a player chooses a number of cards from a set of cards and uses the randomly-selected values later revealed for these chosen cards to play a number of different individual games, or rounds, where a wager may be placed on each round. A game has at least two rounds, and a player may play one or more, but there is no requirement that the player play an earlier round to play a later round. Having multiple rounds provides more excitement since, even if a player loses earlier rounds, she can still win later rounds, which will typically have better odds.
In some rounds, the number of player-chosen cards that match the number of randomly selected cards determines the payout, and in some rounds, the hand formed by the randomly selected values revealed for the player-chosen cards determines the payout. The payouts are generally determined by the odds of getting a particular hand.
The player chooses cards for each round from a display of a set of unique symbols, a symbol for each card of the set from which the predetermined number of cards are chosen. The display may take the form of a grid of locations, where each location represents a card. How the player chooses the rounds and locations and how the grid is displayed depends upon the medium on which the game is played. Having a the ability to select from all cards in play means that the player has the potential to win every game, which is unlike other games that preselect a subset of the total number of possible cards for the player to choose from.
One embodiment of the game includes four rounds: (1) a five card match game, (2) a seven card match game, (3) a guaranteed five card hand game, and (4) a guaranteed seven card hand game. The following describes each game as if it is played by itself. The goal of the five card match game is for the player to choose the five cards that will be randomly selected and revealed. The player chooses five cards and the controller randomly selects five cards and values for the cards. Payouts are made based on the number of matched cards, which are those cards that are the same as player-chosen cards, and/or payouts are made based on the hand formed from the values of the matched cards. The seven card match game is similar to the five card match game, except that the player chooses seven cards and the controller selects seven cards and values for those seven cards.
The goal of the guaranteed five card hand game is for the player to choose five cards to form a hand that is listed on the payout schedule. The player chooses five cards and the controller randomly selects values for at least the five chosen cards. A hand is formed from the values of the chosen cards and payouts are based on whether or not the hand is list in the payout schedule. In one embodiment, the player must use the five cards chosen. In another embodiment, the player is allowed to reject chosen cards and choose others to total five cards. The guaranteed seven card hand game is similar to the guaranteed five card hand game, except that the player chooses seven cards instead of five.
In one embodiment of the game of the present invention, the above-described individual games are combined as rounds into a single combination game. First, the player chooses which rounds she will participate in, which cards to play for each round, and the amount to wager for each chosen round. Then the five card match game is initiated by revealing five randomly selected cards and the randomly selected values for those cards. Matched cards and the hands formed from the matched cards are determined. Payouts are either made at this time or held until the end of the combination game. Next, the seven card match game is initiated by randomly selecting two additional cards and their values. Matched cards and the hands formed from the matched cards are determined. The two additional cards plus the five selected cards from the five card match game are the seven cards used to determine matched cards.
Next, the guaranteed five card hand game is initiated by revealing the values for the first five chosen cards, which are carried over from the first round. Finally, the guaranteed seven card hand game is played. The chosen cards and selected values carry over to this round. Then payouts that have not yet been made are made.
In one embodiment of the combination game, the appropriate values are revealed at the beginning of each round, in progression as each game is played. In another embodiment, all of the values are revealed at the same time. The first embodiment provides more suspense as the game is extended over a longer period of time. The second embodiment permits more games to be played in a given period of time.
The present invention contemplates that the game may be played on a variety of media, including scratch or pull-tab tickets and electronic media, such as public and private video systems, and stand-alone machines, such as personal computers and hand held game machines. With scratch tickets, the card values are randomly selected prior to printing, and the player makes her choices by scratching the chosen cards in a grid. In public video systems, players typically make their choices by marking slips of paper or by keys or touch screens at a location remote from the controller. The grid is displayed on a public video screen or matrix of video screens visible to the players at the remote location. With private standalone machines, the grid is displayed on the player""s private video screen and the player""s choices are made using keys or a touch screen.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the following drawings and detailed description of the invention.